UN court upholds Mladic charges at trial midpoint

Associated Press

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The U.N. Yugoslav tribunal has refused to throw out any charges against former Bosnian Serb military chief Gen. Ratko Mladic at the midway stage of his war crimes trial.

Mladic had asked the judges to toss out some of the 11 charges against him, which include genocide, for an alleged lack of evidence at the end of the prosecution's case.

But Presiding Judge Alphons Orie said Tuesday the evidence presented by prosecutors was strong enough to allow the 72-year-old former soldier's trial to continue on all charges.

Orie says the three-judge panel considers "that the accused has a case to answer on all counts."

Mladic's defense is scheduled to begin May 13.